Book Review: Knits, Knots and Knives by Emmie Caldwell

For once things seem to be running smoothly for knitting enthusiast Lia Geiger. Her daughter is living on her own and happy with her new job on the alpaca farm. Plus, Lia and her Ninth Street Knitters have been knitting for the Civil War reenactment being held on the grounds next to the Crandalsburg Craft Fair. It’s all fun and battle games until one of the “injured soldiers” turns out to be the very real victim of a murder, and Lia’s friend and neighbor falls under deep suspicion. Suddenly, the good folks of Crandalsburg are spinning all kinds of yarns and pointing fingers at one another. Lucky for Lia, she has the combined wits of the Ninth Street Knitters to help her ply the truth from this crafty killer.[summary via publisher]

By day I'm a yarn dyer and knitter, and by night I love to read cozy mysteries... which is why the Craft Fair Knitters Mysteries are a match made in heaven for me!

Lia along with her daughter, Hayley, and her friends are gearing up for the Crandalsburg Craft Fair and a Civil War reenactment. However, things go awry when the reenactment turns real and one of the participants is killed. When Lia's neighbour is fingered for the crime, Lia and the Ninth Street Knitters must put their heads together and solve the crime.

I love this series! It deftly combines my two favourite things: knitting and a good mystery! This one was especially good! Growing up in Australia, I've never seen a Civil War reenactment in person. I now live in Canada, and I have to say I still haven't. However, Emmie Caldwell writes such a good tale, that I felt like I was alongside Lia and Hayley and watching it all unfold!

Emmie Caldwell always delivers a first class whodunnit, and Knits, Knots and Knives was especially good! It was a race to the finish, as I tried to solve the mystery before Lia and her friends.

If you like a good story with a side order of yarn delight, I highly recommend this series. It's the perfect book to put in your favourite yarn-lovers stocking this holiday season.

Book Review: Steeped in Secrets by Lauren Elliott

Welcome to California’s Monterey Peninsula, where life looks calm and idyllic, but there is a sinister murderer in their midst. Shayleigh Myers has returned home to Bray Harbor, after a disaster of a marriage has left her practically destitute. She soon discovers that she has been left an inheritance from Bridget Early, the previous owner of Crystals & CuriosiTEAS.  With the help of her sister and young assistant, Tassi, she's hoping to convert the shop into a teahouse. That is, until a dead body lands on her roof and she must find a killer, before her new life is ruined before it has even started.

I absolutely love Lauren Elliott's Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries. As soon as I heard she had a new series, I knew I had to pick it up immediately! Well let me say, this series is even better! Right from the very first page, I was absolutely smitten with Shay, the sexy Irish pub owner next door, Liam, and even sullen teen, Tassi! 

The mystery itself had me in a tangled web, that I tried to unravel, but kept getting knotted up even more! The death's of Bridget and the man on her roof, become woven into questions Shay has about her own life, and it was truly a delight to see the final denouement revealed. 

If you enjoy paranormal mysteries, this series has been on your winter "must-read" list. Alike to me, you will be turning the last page and absolutely begging for more. I can't wait to take another trip to Bray Harbor, and see what adventure Shay is going to get into next!

Book Review: One Poison Pie by Lynn Cahoon

Kitchen Witch, Mia Malone, has returned to Magic Springs, where she hopes to set up her catering and culinary school. Things take a turn for the worst when her Grandmother's best friend, Adele, is found murdered. With the local police determined to pin the crime on Mia, she must solve the crime and free her name... with the help of a few unlikely friends.

Okay, I confess. I picked this one up based solely on the cover. At the bookstore it just screamed "buy me"! Well let's be honest, all the cozies scream that. But doesn't this one look fun?

From the very first chapter I loved the storyline and characters. Mia is returning to town with her ex's little sister, Christina, in tow. Mia can see that while Christina is troubled she has a good heart, and it was nice to see Mia take her under her wing! When things don't go as planned, it's the help of Christina, Grans, and two local Warlocks that help untangle the mystery. Oh how I loved all these characters!! I was so sad when I turned the last page, but luckily for me there are plenty more books!!

The mystery was a stunning whodunnit. I didn't guess the ending at all! I'm pretty good at picking up the clues, usually, but this one had me really stumped!

One Poison Pie is a spectacular start to this series. If you enjoy paranormal mysteries likeJuliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mysteries, then you need to try this original, highly enticing paranormal cozy mystery. Mia Malone is definitely my new favourite Kitchen Witch and I can't wait to visit again!

Book Review: It Came Upon a Midnight Shear by Allie Pleiter

By day I'm a yarn dyer, and by night I'm a knitter and reader. I absolutely love when my two worlds collide, and no-one does yarn-themed cozy mysteries like Allie Pleiter. I loved the first two, and I was excited to read the latest, It Came Upon a Midnight Shear.

This story brings Libby's past back to Collinstown with her ex-husband coming to town to stir up trouble. Unfortunately for Sterling, he's the newest murder victim in town. In order to clear her name, Libby and her Y.A.R.N.ies set out to solve the mystery!

The mystery was a fabulous whodunnit that left me guessing right until the end! I definitely had an "aha" moment when I realized a clue earlier in the book tied everything together near the end! I've gotten pretty good at solving mysteries, so I was thrilled when this one truly stumped me!

As someone that spends her whole life immersed in yarn, I am so captivated by these mysteries. The author always brings something special that resonates with how I feel as a knitter and dyer. This time it was the special qualities of vicuna. I loved learning about a fibre that I knew little about. Let's just say a little vicuna is definitely on my fibre wish list!

It Came Upon a Midnight Shear is my absolute favourite in this series [so far] and I can't wait to see what Libby gets up to next!

Book Review: A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St James

The Cypress Arete Society is one of the town’s oldest and most exclusive clubs. When assistant librarian Trudell Becket is invited to speak to the group about the library, its modernization, and her efforts to bring printed books to the reading public, her friend Flossie invites herself along. Flossie has been on the book club’s waiting list for five years, and she’s determined to find out why she’s never received an invitation to join. 

But not long after Tru and Flossie arrive for the meeting, they’re shocked to find the club’s president, Rebecca White, dead in the kitchen. Rebecca was a former TV actress and local celebrity, but was not known for being patient or pleasant. She’d been particularly unkind to the book club’s host for the evening, who also happens to be the mother of Detective Jace Bailey, Tru’s boyfriend. And Rebecca had made it clear that she didn’t think Flossie was book club material.

With her boyfriend and one of her best friends wrapped up in a murder, Tru has to work fast to figure out who cut Rebecca’s story short before the killer takes another victim out of circulation....[summary via Amazon]

We're back in Cypress with another fantastic mystery with Tru, Dewey and her friends. This time Tru gets involved in the death of a former actress, when she turns up to present a talk at the Arete Society, one of the most prestigious book clubs in the state. When her boyfriend's mom, Hazel, is fingered for the crime, Tru knows she is going to have to put her best detection skills to the test to solve this case!

I've been smitten with this series since I read the first book, The Broken Spine. Dorothy St James combines my love of books with a tantalizing mystery, and once I start one I can't put it down!

A Book Club to Die For provides a wonderful mystery for readers to solve. The author lays clues around town for the reader to pick up, and I managed to solve it just before Tru does. However, I had no clue on a couple of side storylines that also got their final clues! Oh how I wish I could share them here, but let's just say that the main and side storylines provide so many magical moments, and you don't want to miss this series - not for a single second!

This series has skyrocketed to one of my favourite new reads of 2022! Personally my year has been quite tumultuous and this series has provided me with peace and comfort, as so many mysteries have this year. If you're looking to get lost in a book, I highly recommend this series. I'm sure it will become your favourite too!

Book Review: Death by Spiced Chai by Alex Erickson

In a small town like Pine Hills, reputation counts for a lot. And for reasons that Krissy Hancock can’t figure out, someone is trashing hers. Cockroaches in the bookstore’s coffee, spiteful reviews, vandalism—Krissy is being framed for every bit of bad news around. Her boyfriend, local cop Paul Dalton, is on the case, but before they can source t[he saboteur, Krissy is in the frame for murder, too.

The murder weapon was a teapot full of Krissy’s favorite spiced chai, and all the local gossips are spilling the tea about her supposed involvement. But the real culprit has a grudge that’s been simmering for years. And unless Krissy can uncover the truth before the killer’s rage boils over again, it won’t just be her business in hot water—her life will be on the line too . . .[summary via Amazon]

It's time for another adventure in Pine Hills! Everything is going great for our resident bookstore owner and part-time sleuth, Krissy Hancock. That is until someone starts targeting her... cockroaches in her shop, vandalism and then framing her for murder. Who could really hate Krissy that much?

I really love this series. Bookstore, caffeine and cats... my three favourite things! Add in an enjoyable mystery and I'm ready for a good afternoon of reading! This time the mystery is centred around Krissy and someone is definitely out to get her. Death by Spiced Chai was definitely "spicier" as Krissy and Paul try to determine who is out to frame Krissy. This is a fast-paced mystery, that will have Krissy and the reader re-visiting older cases, trying to pick up all the clues.

This is one of my favourite series and I enjoyed this latest instalment. It is a little edgier than the previous books, but very much a good read. If you are new to the series, I recommend starting with the first book, Death by Coffee, as like a good cup of coffee, once you've had one you're going to need more, more, more!

Book Review: The Case of the Missing Marquess by Nancy Springer

When Enola Holmes, sister to the detective Sherlock Holmes, discovers her mother has disappeared, she quickly embarks on a journey to London in search of her. But nothing can prepare her for what awaits. Because when she arrives, she finds herself involved in the kidnapping of a young marquess, fleeing murderous villains, and trying to elude her shrewd older brothers--all while attempting to piece together clues to her mother's strange disappearance. Amid all the mayhem, will Enola be able to decode the necessary clues and find her mother?[summary via Amazon]

What an absolutely delightful new series! The Case of the Missing Marquess is the first book in the Enola Holmes series, and I was positively charmed by it!

My son has been raving about the first Enola Holmes movie [based on this book] and I decided I needed to read the book first [of course, like most bibliophiles] before I watch the movie. I've been on a bit of a reading slump and this story brought me right back to my love of mysteries! 

Enola's mum has gone missing, and when her brothers, Mycroft and Sherlock, turn up to help, she realizes that she is she going to have to look for her mum herself! As Enola journeys from the country to the big city of London, she takes the reader on an adventure you won't soon forget!

I just loved The Case of the Missing Marquess. As a long-time fan of mysteries, it has all the elements to entice readers, young and old. Enola is a captivating heroine, and as she uses her wits to untangle the mystery of her missing parent, you can see that she has a lot in common with Sherlock!

If you haven't met Enola Holmes yet, you need to right away! This is definitely one series I will be hurrying to get the second book! 

Book Review: Murder on the Poet's Walk by Ellery Adams

As Jane eagerly anticipates the wedding of her best friend Eloise Alcott, Storyton Hall is overrun with poets in town to compete for a coveted greeting card contract. They’re everywhere, scrawling verses on cocktail napkins in the reading rooms or seeking inspiration strolling the Poet’s Walk, a series of trails named after famous authors. But the Tennyson Trail leads to a grim surprise: a woman’s corpse drifting in a rowboat on a lake, a crumpled copy of “The Lady of Shallot” in her lifeless fist.

When a second body is discovered, also holding a page from a poetry book, a recurring MO emerges. Fortunately, Jane is well versed in sleuthing and won’t rest until she gives the killer a taste of poetic justice . . .[summary via Amazon]

Our favourite resort manager, Jane Steward, is back for a new adventure! This time she is playing host to a poetry competition, where one lucky poet will win a greeting card contract! However, the contest starts to turn deadly when a contestant turns up dead. Who is determined to narrow the playing field? And, will Jane find the killer before they strike again!

I absolutely love Ellery Adams' stories! Her Charmed Pie Shoppe mysteries are in my top 5 favourite series! She crafts delightful, interesting mysteries that bring in the reader like no other. Her new novel, Murder on the Poet's Walk, is no exception.

The series always delivers a great mystery, but it is the characters and interesting facts about other authors that keeps me coming back. This one centres around poetry, and in particular Walt Whitman. As an Australian, who now resides in Canada, I found the history of American poets really fascinating!

The mystery itself was top-notch and I didn't manage to solve it before Jane and her friends. I sure had fun trying, though! At every dead end, I had to look at the rest of the never-ending suspects! It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat, until the final denouement!

I cannot recommend this series enough. Whenever I suggest it, I always say "come for the mystery, and stay for Storyton"! Storyton is a delight, and one cozy town you have to visit!

Book Review: Murder of a Pink Elephant by Denise Swanson

When Skye Denison's brother forms a band called Pink Elephant, the town goes wild-maybe too wild. First, a groupie turns stalker, seducing the band members one by one. Then, one of the Pink Elephants winds up murdered. Who's to blame? Everyone seems to think it's the drummer-and now Skye has to clear her brother's name.[summary via Amazon]

I recently picked up a copy of Murder of a Pink Elephant at a book sale, and I thought I would dive back into the world of Scumble River, and guess what? I had the very BEST time!!

Skye Denison gets caught up in the world of drugs and rock 'n roll, when her brother, Vince, is fingered for a murder of his fellow bandmate. What follows is a tantalizing tale as Skye tries to clear her brother's name.

Picture it... it's 2009 and I've just re-discovered cozy mysteries, after making my way through the Agatha Christie mysteries while I was on bedrest with my twins [who are now 14!]. What followed was an intense love of cozies, where I sampled so many series. One of those fictional places I visited was Stumble River. I loved it, but as usually happens I read a few and another shiny series caught my attention. Fast forward to last month when I picked up Murder of a Pink Elephant and now I've fallen in love with Scumble River all over again, and pondering why I didn't continue on with them! 

It was like I had never left, I quickly got caught up with Skye and all her family and friends, and got carried away with the mystery. While I solved the mystery before Skye, I loved all the side stories involving her love interest, Simon, and police chief, Wally. Not to mention Skye's family! 

This series is the epitome of small town cozy. It delights from the first page to the last, and will leave you wanting more. Lucky for me, there is lots more in this series to read!

Book Review: The Modiste Mishap by Erica Ridley

Miss Sybil Stamper is the least fancy member of the reading circle known as The Heist Club. To her friends, bespectacled Sybil is the Queen of Lists, but she’d rather be belle of the ball. When she finally acquires an evening gown, her life looks like it’s falling into place. But when a client’s valuable objects go missing, not only is Sybil’s happy ending in jeopardy—so are the futures of other young ladies just like her! 

With the help of the Wild Wynchesters—a uniquely talented family of caper-committing siblings who don’t let “laws” stop them from righting wrongs—Sybil and her club of delightfully bookish spinsters take on the heist of the Season.[summary via Amazon]

Prepare yourself for a "squee" alert, because I absolutely LOVED The Modiste Mishap, the second book in the Heist Club series!

Over the winter I read all the Bridgerton books by Julia Quinn, and fell in love with regency romances all over again. Fast forward to the summer when I spied The Modiste Mishap, and I knew I had to give it a try. This book combines my love of romance and mystery, and was a unputdownable read. I literally finished it in a day!

Miss Sybil is a devoted reader and part of a reading circle called The Heist Club. When she is re-stocking one of their lending libraries, she falls right in the middle of a mystery, involving miss ball gowns! With the help of The Heist Club, she must recover the gowns before it's too last.

Love, love, LOVE! This was such a fun mystery! While there were no dead bodies, although Elizabeth Wynchester might have wanted one, it was an interesting mystery, and kept me glued until the end!

Up until now, Penelope Featherington has been my favourite regency heroine, but I think Miss Sybil might have beaten her to the number one spot. She is plucky, loves to read and loved to organize with lists! What's not to love?

I cannot recommend this mystery enough. If you like romance with your mysteries, then this series is for you! If you love Bridgerton and Pride and Prejudice, then you need to read this series! This one is a great introduction to the Wynchesters, and I'm planning to pick up the other series next.

Book Review: Bayou Book Thief by Ellen Byron

Twenty-eight-year-old widow Ricki James leaves Los Angeles to start a new life in New Orleans after her showboating actor husband perishes doing a stupid internet stunt. The Big Easy is where she was born and adopted by the NICU nurse who cared for her after Ricki’s teen mother disappeared from the hospital.

Ricki’s dream comes true when she joins the quirky staff of Bon Vee Culinary House Museum, the spectacular former Garden District home of late bon vivant Genevieve “Vee” Charbonnet, the city’s legendary restauranteur. Ricki is excited about turning her avocation – collecting vintage cookbooks – into a vocation by launching the museum’s gift shop, Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware. Then she discovers that a box of donated vintage cookbooks contains the body of a cantankerous Bon Vee employee who was fired after being exposed as a book thief.

The skills Ricki has developed ferreting out hidden vintage treasures come in handy for investigations. But both her business and Bon Vee could wind up as deadstock when Ricki’s past as curator of a billionaire’s first edition collection comes back to haunt her.

Will Miss Vee’s Vintage Cookbooks and Kitchenware be a success … or a recipe for disaster?[summary via Amazon]

As readers of this blog will know, I absolutely love "book-themed" cozy mysteries. There is just something about books within books that is so tantalizing. Which is why Ellen Byron's new series, the Vintage Cookbook Mysteries, are perfect for me!

Ricki James-Diaz is originally from New Orleans, and after a disaster of a relationship in L.A., she decides to get back to her roots when she opens a vintage cookbook shop. However, not all is smooth sailing when a local curmudgeon is found dead and the police are determined to pin it on someone at "Bon Vee". Ricki quickly steps in to investigate and clear her new family!

I enjoyed this book so much! I've never been to New Orleans and the author instantly transports you through the pages. From the mouth-watering food, to the places and sounds, it was a festival of delight with every page!

The mystery surrounding Franklin's death was first class! Over the years I've gotten pretty good at guessing who the killer is, and with this one I had no clue! It was a mystery wrapped within a mystery, and the bibliophile in me was very fascinated!!

I simply loved everything about Bayou Book Thief. When the last page was turned, I was disappointed that I would be leaving Bon Vee. Although I know I will be back there very soon! If you're looking for a book-themed mystery that combines a culinary mystery, this should be right on the top of your list! I can't wait to visit with Ricki and her friends again!

Book Review: The Persian Always Meows Twice by Eileen Watkins

Cassie McGlone, owner of Cassie’s Comfy Cats in Chadwick, New Jersey, knows that professional cat grooming isn’t all fluff. She handles her feistiest four-legged clients with a caring touch and nerves of steel. And she needs all the nerve she can muster on her latest house call—when she finds the murdered body of her favorite client, millionaire George DeLeuw, and his newly orphaned Persian, Harpo.

Cassie wants to do whatever she can to help the local police find George’s killer. Taking temporary custody of Harpo seems simple enough—until it becomes clear that someone is desperate to get their claws on the cat. Could the feline be the key to untangling a felony? As cat at whisperer Cassie tries to coax out deadly secrets, she better tread lightly. After all, she gets one life, not nine.[summary via Amazon]

Recently, I have been completely gushing over new series. Of course, the gushing is not about to stop, because I absolutely fell in love with the Cat Groomer Mysteries!

Cassie McGlone is starting her life again in Chadwick, after a disastrous relationship. She's using her pet grooming skills and opens up Cassie's Comfy Cats. However, when her wealthiest client turns up dead, she's going to have to use different skills to solve the murder!

I took to this series like a cat to cat nip! Being a Crazy Cat Lady myself, I just loved all the details the author puts into the cat grooming aspect. I have a Maine Coon cat, and I definitely appreciate the author sharing the ups and downs of owning a long haired cat. Of course, I wouldn't trade my floofy cat for the world. Perhaps this is why I just adored Harpo, the Persian cat, that the story centres around.

The mystery centres around a wealthy client, George DeLeuw. It was interesting as Cassie delves into George's past life, and tries to untangle the mystery. Of course, all the while trying to keep Harpo safe! The mystery was first rate and the final denouement was a surprise, as was the way it came about! I just love a good edge-of-the-seat mystery, and The Persian Always Meows Twice definitely delivers.

If you love cat-themed cozies, and maybe your first cozy mystery [like me] was The Cat Who books, then I suggest picking up this series. I already have the next one, waiting to be started!

Book Review: Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody

After Jane helps a friend with a sticky personal problem, word starts to spread around her bridge club—and then around all of West Cambridge, Massachusetts—that she’s the go-to girl for situations that need discreet fixing. Soon she has her first paid assignment—the director of a 55-and-over condo community needs her to de-escalate hostilities among the residents. As Jane discovers after moving in for her undercover assignment, the mature set can be as immature as any high schoolers, and war is breaking out between cliques.

It seems she might make some progress—until one of the aging “popular kids” is bludgeoned to death with a golf club. And though the automatic sprinklers have washed away much of the evidence, Jane’s on course to find out whodunit . . .[summary via Amazon]

New series alert! Well new-to-me series alert!! I really enjoy Barbara Ross' Maine Clambake series, and I was thrilled to discover this series as well.

Jane Darrowfield is taking snooping to a whole new level. She's asked to help untangle some issues at a local retirement community. Little does she know that someone is about to be murdered, and she's going to be in the middle of it!

I just LOVED this book! It's definitely a contender for Top 3 of 2022! The writing is easy to fall into, and the characters and mystery have so many layers. I adored Jane. Yes she's a busybody, but one with a purpose! From her bridge club to everyone at Waldon Springs, this story was so enjoyable!

The mystery itself was excellent. Absolutely first class! I definitely had a hard time guessing the murderer, and Jane got there before me! 

I will definitely be coming back for another mystery in this series! Luckily for me the second book in this series is already released!

Book Review: A Murder Like No Author by Amy Lillard

It's movie time in Sugar Springs and the whole town is pitching together to get the historical Coliseum Theater ready for the event of the year—the premiere of Missing Girl, local author Wally Harrison's bestselling novel turned film.

Thrilled to bring tourists to Sugar Springs, the town comes together to host the late author's event. But when a stranger arrives, boasting he has definitive proof that Wally didn't write Missing Girl...well, drama leaps from the page into real life. Mishaps start taking place around the theater—and then the stranger is discovered dead in his hotel room right before his press conference.

Can Arlo and her Friday night book club to sleuth out the killer and solve the mystery before the town's Hollywood dreams go up in smoke?[summary via Amazon]

Oh how I missed the Main Street Book Club mysteries!!! A Murder Like No Author is the third book in the series and it seems like forever since I visited Sugar Springs. This time bookstore owner, Arlo Stanley, is getting ready for the film premiere of local author, Wally Harrison. However, things don't go smoothly when a dead body turns up at the theatre . To make matters worse, her "book club" members are determined to stick their nose into the investigation.

Oh poor Arlo! As usual her book club, making up her guardian Helen, and friends, Fern and Camille, is causing strive and police chief, Mads, looks to Arlo to reign them in. However, reigning in the girls is easier said then done, and that is when the hilarity [and a great story] starts to take place!!

I really enjoyed the murder mystery. With Wally Harrison being a previous victim [refer to the first book] and someone accusing Wally of stealing the book, Missing Girl, there is quite a tangled web to untangle, and I had a lot of fun doing it. The mystery is excellent and will keep even the most seasoned reader guessing right until the end.

I've come to expect a great story with this series, and A Murder Like No Author doesn't disappoint. If you are looking for a fabulous book-within-book series, I recommend picking up the Main Street Book Club Mysteries. The antics of the book club coupled with the murder mystery is the perfect way to spend a Summer afternoon!

Book Review: A Margin for Murder by Lauren Elliott

It's time for another adventure with bookseller, Addie Greyborne. This time she's on the road with her assistant, Paige, as they travel to nearby town, Pen Hollow, for a library booksale. There appears to be tension at the booksale, as the library is closing down, and the town is very angry at both the Mayor, and the benefactor that has pulled out. Addie is planning on just buying a few books and leaving. However, when the option to buy the bookmobile turns up, Addie leaps at the chance. Her vision for driving around in the bookmobile is short lived though, when it is involved in a fatal crash. What appears to be an accident soon turns to murder, especially when the local Sheriff is determined to point the finger at Addie and Paige.

The Beyond the Page Bookstore Mysteries are one of my absolute favourites. I love books about books, and this one is a first class series. Every story delivers a tantalizing story, involving interesting books and a fascinating whodunnit. Of course, there is also the sub-plots surrounding Addie and her friends, that keep me coming back for more.

I really liked the setting of picturesque Pen Hollow, with all its history and gothic intrigue. The murder itself was interesting and difficult to solve. I didn't manage to solve it before Addie did, and  the ending left me saying "oh my". It was definitely a denouement that would make Agatha Christie proud!

I absolutely loved everything about A MARGIN FOR MURDER. Beyond the mystery, Addie's friend, Serena, is pregnant and there is a lot going on in Addie's love life. The ending gave me that "curled toes in cozy delight" feeling, and I can't wait for the next adventure!

Book Review: Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay

STRAWBERRIED ALIVE is the latest book in Jenn McKinlay's popular Cupcake Bakery Mysteries, and she left me devouring this book whole!

All seems calm at the Fairy Tale Cupcake Bakery. Mel is happily married to Joe, and Angie and Tate are enjoying the early days of parenthood. However, things look to change when Mel is shot at outside the bakery, and local business owners start turning up dead! Is Mel the target, and who would want to kill her neighbours? Mel and her friends are going to have put their special skills to the test to solve this one.

I love this series. I've been reading them since I discovered the first book, SPRINKLE WITH MURDER, in 2011. They are always on my must-buy list, and every book just showcases how fabulous this series is. The latest instalment is no different. I love the slightly different angle of this one, with Mel being targeted. Is it for something she has previous done? Maybe someone doesn't like her sleuthing? Without gushing too much, I simply loved the mystery and especially the final denouement. Mel definitely gets to have a Miss Marple moment, with unveiling the killer!

I can't say enough good things about this series. If you haven't read these yet, I strongly recommend picking up SPRINKLE WITH MURDER and reading all of them. While it is not essential to read them in order, these books are like cupcakes and you simply can't have just one!

STRAWBERRIED ALIVE is another fantastic instalment in the series, and I can't wait to see what adventures Mel, Angie and Tate go on next!

Book Review: Lost Coast Literary by Ellie Alexander

Book editor Emily Bryant finds herself unexpectedly in the charming town of Cascata on California’s Lost Coast, holding the keys to her grandmother’s rambling Victorian mansion. While sorting through her grandmother’s things, Emily learns that to inherit the estate she must edit old manuscripts. It’s a strange request from a family member who was basically a stranger.

Emily quickly realizes that there’s something different about these manuscripts. Any changes she makes, come true. At first, she embraces the gift. She has a chance to help characters find true love or chart a new course for their future. Only things go terribly wrong. Her edits have the opposite effect. The sweet and funky seaside community of Cascata is reeling from the chaos Emily has created. Everything she thought she believed about her family and her past is in jeopardy, and no amount of re-writing can fix the damage she’s done.

Then she finds one last manuscript. If Emily can get this edit right, then maybe she’ll have a chance to create a new narrative for herself and everyone around her.[summary via Publisher]

Disclaimer: This isn't a cozy mystery. However it is written by cozy mystery author, Ellie Alexander.

Lost Coast Literary is Ellie Alexander's first foray into a non-mystery General Fiction novel, and if this one is any indicator, I absolutely can't wait to see what else she has in store for us!

Emily Bryant is returning to Cascata, California, to deal with her late Grandmother's estate. However it isn't all hugs and family reunions, as Emily and her Dad left the coast when she was a child, and never had anything to do with his family.  What Emily finds at her grandmother's estate will question everything she thought she knew about her childhood and her family.

I absolutely loved this book! I confess, I didn't read the synopsis when I got it. With a lot of my favourite authors, I just go in "blind" because I know their previous work, and I know I will love anything they write. So I didn't actually know it wasn't a cozy mystery when I started. However I had faith that I would love it because Ellie Alexander's Sloan Krause Mysteries are some of my absolute favourite mysteries!

It's not just that Lost Coast Literary is a book about books [my favourite kind of books], or that the characters and the plot is so compelling that I couldn't put it down [I couldn't!], it's that the concept was so completely unique to me. Magic manuscripts? Sign me up! I just loved everything about this book, and without gushing too much, it's fair to say it is easily my favourite book this month!

Lost Coast Literary reads like a love letter to bibliophiles. From all the book references to the gorgeous descriptions of the coast, food and people, this book should be on the top of your reading list. While you're there definitely add the Sloan Krause Mysteries too, because first and foremost I'm a book enabler... just like Emily!

Book Review: Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

As spring comes to Collinstown, the village launches a food festival to draw a new group of tourists. Libby, proud owner of Y.A.R.N., has planned a yarn event to provide an alternative option to a foodie weekend. Artisan fiber dyer Julie Wilson—known for her work with animal-friendly, plant-based knitting fibers such as bamboo and hemp as well as her brilliant use of color—will hopefully draw a crowd with a special dyeing workshop.

The festival begins, but it draws more than crowds. First a flock of sheep parades down the street, herded by farmers protesting Julie’s antiwool stance. Then Julie’s celebrity chef sister appears, and the siblings resume a long-standing rivalry. Despite all this, Julie’s workshop has sold out. Libby is thrilled, and they’re preparing for a full house. But the night before the event, Julie is found alone in the warehouse event space—dead. The witty “Watch Julie Wilson Dye” workshop title now has a terrible new meaning—and it’s up to Libby to catch a crafty killer.[summary via publisher]

Knit or Dye Trying is the second book in Allie Pleiter's fabulous Riverbank Knitting Mysteries. It's Spring in Collinstown, and yarn shop owner, Libby, is looking forward to another event, this time with yarn dyer, Julie Wilson, who works on plant-based fibres only. However, the event comes to a crashing halt when Julie is found dead.

Being a yarn dyer myself, I was immediately drawn to this series. I love knitting, and everything fibre related. It's not often that I see the occupation of "yarn dyer" in cozy mysteries, and it was with absolute morbid curiosity that I was glued to every page, waiting to find out who killed Julie!

Allie Pleiter writes absolutely vivid, beautiful and tantalizing cozy mysteries, and her newest is no different. Building on the first book, we learn more about Collinstown, especially as Allie goes head-to-head with the President of the Chamber of Commerce. Politics aside, I just love her description of everything in Libby's Y.A.R.N. shop! I practically wanted to reach in and touch the fibres!

Knit or Dye Trying is a fantastic addition to this series. The mystery kept me guessing right up to the final donouement, and I didn't want the story to end! From a yarn dyers point of view, she gave such interesting coverage of the process, that I'm sure many knitters will want to try dyeing yarn for themselves! Whether you love yarn, or just love a really good mystery, this series should definitely be on your must-read list!

Book Review: A Perfect Bind by Dorothy St James

Tru Beckett succeeded in building a secret book room in her now bookless library, where book lovers from lovely Cypress, South Carolina, can rejoice in the printed word. Now she's working hard to maintain the little library downstairs while keeping her "real job" upstairs in the bookless technology center. The last thing she needs is a mysterious vandal who seems intent on breaking into her secret book-filled sanctuary and creating chaos. The nasty interloper doesn't steal anything, but brutalizes the books, damaging them and knocking them off shelves. 

A patron of the secret book room tells Tru that there have been creepy goings-on at the library for years, especially in the basement where the secret book room is located. He's heard rumors of a poltergeist that haunts the library, determined to scare off readers. Tru is certain it's hogwash, but she's at a loss to think of who might be vandalizing the beautiful books she fought so hard to protect. And when a dead body shows up right behind the library, Tru is certain that it's not a ghost but a cold-blooded killer that she and her trusty tabby Dewey Decimal will need to uncover.[summary via Amazon]

A PERFECT BIND is the second book in the Beloved Bookroom Mysteries, and I've devoured both of them this month! I absolutely can't get enough of this series! Why? Because they are a mystery wrapped within a mystery, and they are such a delight!

The main mystery revolves around the death of local mechanic, Owen Maynard, when he is found dead behind the library. Owen is found with one of Tru's "secret" library books. How did he get it and does his death tie into the secret bookroom?

Beyond the mystery, we have the secret of the bookroom, in the basement of the library. A small recap if you missed the first book: when the library was turned into a "book-free" library, Tru saved as many books as she could and put them in the bunker downstairs, and operates it as an illicit library. For me, this is the best secret within a secret that I have ever seen in a book! I just love the idea of a library of physical copies, underneath a library. Naturally Tru and her friends don't want too many people to know about the library, especially not Detective Jace Bailey.

The mystery was a lot of fun, and there were some tantalizing edge of your seat moments, as Tru, Flossie and Tori try to find the killer. I did guess the killer early on, but it never took anything away from the story. The final denouement was thrilling to say the least, and I liked how all the storylines tied together in the end. I won't give too much away, but I definitely loved the final chapters of the book. 

A PERFECT BIND delivers a cleverly crafted mystery, with such interesting characters. It leaves the reader satisfied, but still wanting just a little bit more. Like will we ever know what genre of books Flossie writes? Will head librarian, Mrs Farnsworth, ever find out about the secret bookroom?

If you haven't picked up this series yet, I highly recommend it. You won't be disappointed.

Book Review: How to Book a Murder by Cynthia Kuhn

To help save her family’s floundering Colorado bookstore, Starlit Bookshop, newly minted Ph.D. Emma Starrs agrees to plan a mystery-themed dinner party for her wealthy, well-connected high school classmate Tabitha Baxter. It’s a delightful evening of cocktails and conjecture until Tabitha’s husband, Tip—hosting the affair in the guise of Edgar Allan Poe’s detective C. Auguste Dupin—winds up murdered. 

In a heartbeat, Emma and her aunt Nora, a famous mystery writer, become suspects. Emma is sure the party’s over for Starlit events, until celebrated author Calliope Nightfall, whose gothic sensibilities are intrigued by the circumstances, implores the bookseller to create a Poe-themed launch event for her latest tome. Throwing a bash to die for while searching for additional clues is already enough to drive Emma stark raven mad, but another shocking crime soon reveals that Silvercrest has not yet reached the final chapter of the puzzling case. 

Someone in this charming artistic community has murder on the mind, and if Emma cannot outwit the killer, she and her beloved aunt will land behind bars, to walk free nevermore.[summary via Amazon]

Anyone that knows me knows that I love books about books! They are my absolute favourite. They make my little, cozy heart scream with joy! Whether it is a bookstore, library or antiquarian setting, I absolutely love them! I especially love discovering new series that fit into this category, such as my latest read... the Starlit Bookshop Mysteries!

This series centres around Emma and Lucy, who along with their Aunt Nora, run the Starlit Bookshop, a family-run business. The mystery itself was really fascinating, especially as it occurred during a .... murder mystery party! With this key setting, I felt like I was in a Poirot whodunnit, as Emma and Nora put their detective skills to the test [both being mystery writers] and solve the mystery.

How to Book a Murder is the perfect blend of drama and cozy town, and hit all the right notes for me! Being a debut, I was introduced to all the key people in Silvercrest, and they do provide a little drama... especially the relationship between Emma and high school bully, Tabitha, whose husband ends up dead. I feel like there will be a lot to unravel in future books and I can't wait!

This debut was a perfect whodunnit, and I can't wait to read the next one!

Book Review: Death & Sensibility by Elizabeth Blake

DEATH & SENSIBILITY is the second book in the Jane Austen Society Mysteries. Bookshop owner, Erin Coleridge is visiting York with her friends, attending the Jane Austen Society Conference. Disaster strikes when the keynote speaker turns up dead, from an apparent heart attack. However, Erin puts her amateur sleuth nose to the case, and is convinced that the speaker was murdered. When other suspicious events happen to confirm this theory, Erin [along with her friends' help] must try to flush out the killer, before they strike again.

I picked up this book, without reading the first book in the series. In my mind, that is usually major mistake, as I like to follow the sub-plots as well as the main mystery. However, I was so keen to dive into the series that I jumped right in! Am I ever glad I did!

Right away, I felt at home with the characters, and liked them instantly. I love the friendship between Erin and Farnsworth, and their friendship with Hetty and Pru. Elizabeth Blake makes the reader feel right at home among them, almost to the point that you wish they were your friends!

While it is not mandatory, if you're a "austenophile" you will truly love this book! With a quote on every page, it's a delight to my Jane Austen-loving heart! Especially the comparisons of the Pride & Prejudice adaptions [truly my favourite Jane Austen book].

The mystery was very enticing, and the final denouement was quite thrilling. If you're looking to cozy up with a mystery about books, then this one is for you! A true delight from beginning to end, even Jane Austen would be proud!

A little side note: I love that there is a reason for Erin feeling compelled to get involved in murder mysteries, beyond the usual "nosiness". I feel like Erin has a lot of growing to do, and I definitely can't wait to join her on her adventure! Especially if it involves a handsome man or two, on the side!